health

health

[helth]

a relative state in which one is able to function well physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually in order to express the full range of one's unique potentialities within the environment in which one is living. In the words of René Dubos, “health is primarily a measure of each person's ability to do and become what he wants to become.”

Current views of health and illness recognize health as more than the absence of disease. Realizing that humans are dynamic beings whose state of health can change from day to day or even from hour to hour, leaders in the health field suggest that it is better to think of each person as being located on a graduated scale or continuous spectrum (continuum) ranging from obvious dire illness through the absence of discernible disease to a state of optimal functioning in every aspect of one's life. High-level wellness is described as a dynamic process in which the individual is actively engaged in moving toward fulfillment of his or her potential.

A common concept of health as a continuum ranging from optimal wellness at one end to illness culminating in death at the other end.

1. in the nursing interventions classification, a nursing intervention defined as developing and providing instruction and learning experiences to facilitate voluntary adaptation of behavior conducive to health in individuals, families, groups, or communities.

2. See Window on Health Education.

health as expanding consciousness a conceptual model of nursing formulated by Margaret A. newman which offers a paradigm based on the view of health as the undivided wholeness of the person in interaction with the environment. The four key concepts of her model are consciousness, movement, space, and time. Consciousness is defined as the informational capacity of the human system, or the capacity of the system to interact with the environment. Movement is the manifestation of consciousness, viewed as waves of energy and energy transformation in the space and time of a person's life.

Person and environment are defined as co-extensive, open energy fields. The two evolve together and move toward increasing complexity and diversity, manifested in patterns of interaction that occur along continua of time and space. Person is also defined as a specific pattern of consciousness.

Health is a process of expanding consciousness that synthesizes disease and non-disease and is recognized by patterns of person-environment interaction. An understanding of pattern is basic to an understanding of health, and involves the movement from looking at parts to looking at the whole. Pattern is defined as information that depicts the whole, and gives an understanding of the meaning of relationships.

Nursing is an integrative force within the new paradigm of health seen as the undivided wholeness of the person in interaction and as a process of evolving consciousness. The nursing process is modified by Newman and encompasses nursing diagnosis/intervention based on the unique configuration of each person-environment interaction. Intervention is broadly intepreted as the recognition and augmentation of person-environment patterns, where the nurse and the client evolve together toward expanding consciousness.

health care system an organized plan of health services. The term usually is used to refer to the system or program by which health care is made available to the population and financed by government, private enterprise, or both. In a larger sense, the elements of a health care system embrace the following: (1) personal health care services for individuals and families, available at hospitals, clinics, neighborhood centers, and similar agencies, in physicians' offices, and in the clients' own homes; (2) the public health services needed to maintain a healthy environment, such as control of water and food supplies, regulation of drugs, and safety regulations intended to protect a given population; (3) teaching and research activities related to the prevention, detection, and treatment of disease; and (4) third party (health insurance) coverage of system services.

In the United States, the spectrum of health care has been defined by the Department of Health and Human Services as encompassing six levels of health care. The first level of care is preventive care, which is primarily provided by school health education courses and community and public health services.

Primary care is the usual point at which an individual enters the health care system. Its major task is the early detection and prevention of disease and the maintenance of health. This level of care also encompasses the routine care of individuals with common health problems and chronic illnesses that can be managed in the home or through periodic visits to an outpatient facility. Providers of care at the primary level include family members as well as the professionals and paraprofessionals who staff community and neighborhood health centers, hospital outpatient departments, physicians' offices, industrial health units, and school and college health units.

Secondary or acute care is concerned with emergency treatment and critical care involving intense and elaborate measures for the diagnosis and treatment of a specified range of illness or pathology. Entry into the system at this level is either by direct admission to a health care facility or by referral. Provider groups for secondary care include both acute- and long-term care hospitals and their staffs.

Tertiary care includes highly technical services for the treatment of individuals and families with complex or complicated health needs. Providers of tertiary care are health professionals who are specialists in a particular clinical area and are competent to work in such specialty agencies as psychiatric hospitals and clinics, chronic disease centers, and the highly specialized units of general hospitals; for example, a coronary care unit. Entry into the health care system at this level is gained by referral from either the primary or secondary level.

Respite care is that provided by an agency or institution for long-term care patients on a short-term basis to give the primary caretaker(s) at home a period of relief.

Restorative care comprises routine follow-up care and rehabilitation in such facilities as nursing homes, halfway houses, inpatient facilities for alcohol and drug abusers, and in the homes of patients served by home health care units of hospitals or community-based agencies.

Continuing care is provided on an ongoing basis to support those persons who are physically or mentally handicapped, elderly and suffering from a chronic and incapacitating illness, mentally retarded, or otherwise unable to cope unassisted with daily living. Such care is available in personal care homes, domiciliary homes, inpatient health facilities, nursing homes, geriatric day care centers, and various other types of facilities. See also home health care.

holistic health a system of preventive care that takes into account the whole individual, one's own responsibility for one's well-being, and the total influences—social, psychological, environmental—that affect health, including nutrition, exercise, and mental relaxation.

health maintenance organization (HMO) any of a variety of health care delivery systems with structures ranging from group practice through independent practice models or independent practice associations (IPAs). They provide alternatives to the fee-for-service private practice of medicine and other allied health professions. Although the type of organizational pattern, membership, and ownership of the organization may vary among HMOs, all have the major goal of allowing for investment in and incentives to use a prepaid, organized, comprehensive health care system that serves a defined population. The enrolled population enters into a contract with the organization, agreeing to pay, or have paid on their behalf, a fixed sum, in return for which the HMO makes available the health care personnel, facilities, and services that the population may require. The services are available on a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a- week basis. Some HMOs may provide directly the entire range of health services, including rehabilitation, dental, and mental health care. Others may agree to provide directly or arrange to pay only for physicians' services, in-hospital care, and outpatient emergency and preventive medical services. The kinds of services available are stipulated in the contract between the organization and its enrolled population. The emphasis of a health maintenance organization is on preventive rather than crisis-oriented medical care.

health seeking behaviors a nursing diagnosis accepted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, defined as a state in which a person in stable health is actively seeking ways to alter his or her personal habits or environment in order to move toward a higher level of health. “Stable health” is defined as the achieving of age-appropriate illness prevention measures, with reporting of good or excellent health, and signs or symptoms of disease, when present, being controlled.

health

1. The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality.

2. A state of dynamic balance in which an individual's or a group's capacity to cope with all the circumstances of living is at an optimal level.

3. A state characterized by anatomic, physiologic, and psychological integrity, ability to perform personally valued family, work, and community roles; ability to deal with physical, biologic, psychological, and social stress; a feeling of well-being, and freedom from the risk of disease and untimely death.

[A.S. haelth]

health

(helth) a state of physical, mental, and social well-being.

public health the field of medicine concerned with safeguarding and improving the health of the community as a whole.

health

(hĕlth)

n.

1. The overall condition of an organism at a given time.

2. Soundness, especially of body or mind; freedom from disease or abnormality.

3. A condition of optimal well-being: concerned about the ecological health of the area.

health

Etymology: AS, haelth

a condition of physical, mental, and social well-being and the absence of disease or other abnormal condition. It is not a static condition. Constant change and adaptation to stress result in homeostasis. René Dubos, often quoted in nursing education, says, "The states of health or disease are the expressions of the success or failure experienced by the organism in its efforts to respond adaptively to environmental challenges." See also high-level wellness, homeostasis.

health

Alternative medicineThe normal and harmonious vibration of the elements and forces that compose the human “entity” on the physical, mental and moral (emotional) planes of being, in conformity with the constructive principle in nature (the so-called great law of life).

Mainstream medicineA condition defined by the WHO as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, rather than merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

health

Epidemiology A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity Public health Per WHO's Ottawa charter, '…a concept for everyday life…emphasizing social–peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice & equity and personal–physiologic–resources; the WHO also defined health as '…a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'. See African holistic health, E-health, Baseline health, Health promotion, Ottawa Charter, Russian health, Sexual health, Telehealth.

health

(helth)

1. The state of an organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality.

2. A state characterized by anatomic, physiologic, and psychological integrity; ability to perform personally valued family, work, and community roles; ability to deal with physical, biologic, psychological, and social stress; a feeling of well-being; and freedom from the risk of disease and untimely death.

3. Complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease, as defined by the World Health Organization.

[A.S. health]

health

1. The general state of a person or organism. This may be good or bad.

2. The state of being in excellent condition of body or mind and free from disease, abnormality or disorder.

health

wellness, i.e. the state characterized by optimal function and absence of disease and abnormality

health,

n a state of well-being that takes into account an individual's physical, mental, and emotional vitality and desires.

health

(helth)

1. State of organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality.

2. State of dynamic balance in which an individual's or a group's capacity to cope with all the circumstances of living is at an optimal level.

[A.S. health]

health,

n a bodily state in which all parts are functioning properly. Also refers to the normal functioning of a part of the body. A state of normal functional equilibrium; homeostasis.

health, ASA classification,

n a classification system for ranking the level of a patient's physical health, established by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Patients are classified as ASA I, indicating a patient in a normal state of health, with no apparent disease. ASA II indicates a patient with a mild disease. ASA III indicates a patient with a serious disease, which may limit normal activity but does not cause incapacitation. ASA IV indicates a patient with a life-threatening and incapacitating disease. ASA V indicates a declining patient who is not expected to live beyond a day, regardless of medical attention. ASA E indicates emergency status when added to any of the normal status designations.

health assessment,

n an evaluation of the health status of an individual by performing a physical examination after obtaining a health history. Various laboratory and functional tests may also be ordered to confirm a clinical impression or to screen for possible disease involvement.

health behavior,

n an action taken by a person to maintain, attain, or regain good health and to prevent illness. Health behavior reflects a person's health beliefs.

health care clearing house,

n an entity used to process or aid in the processing of information; may also be called a repricing company, billing service, community health information system, community health management information system, or “value-added” switch or network.

health care operations,

n.pl the functions performed by a health care provider, health care plan, or health care clearing house to conduct administrative and business management activities.

health care professional,

n a person who by education, training, certification, or licensure is qualified to and is engaged in providing health care.

n an educational program directed to the general public that attempts to improve, maintain, and safeguard the health care of the community.

health hazard,

n a danger to health resulting from exposure to environmental pollutants such as asbestos or ionizing radiation, or to a lifestyle influence such as cigarette smoking or chemical abuse.

health history,

n previously diagnosed physical or mental condition of an individual. Also called medical history. See also health assessment and chart, history.

health information,

n recorded information in any format (e.g., oral, written, or electronic) regarding the physical or mental condition of an individual, health care provision, or health care payment. See also health assessment and health, patient.

health information, individually identifiable,

n recorded information in any format (e.g., oral, written, or electronic) regarding the physical or mental condition of an individual, health care provision, or health care payment. It contains demographic information able to specifically distinguish an individual. In some cases, this information may not be considered “protected.” See also health information, protected.

health information, protected (PHI),

n recorded information in any format (e.g., oral, written, or electronic) regarding the physical or mental condition of an individual, health care provision, or health care payment. It contains demographic information able to specifically distinguish an individual. See also health information, individually identifiable.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),

n a public law enacted by Congress in 1996, consisting of two parts. Title I of the act protects workers and their families from the loss of health insurance coverage should they change or lose their jobs. Title II of the act calls for the establishment of national standards for electronic health care records, as well as national identities for health care providers, health insurance plans, and employers. In addition, Title II protects the privacy and security of an individual's health information.

health maintenance organization (HMO),

n a legal entity that accepts responsibility and financial risk for providing specified services to a defined population during a defined period at a fixed price. An organized system of health care delivery that provides comprehensive care to enrollees through designated providers. Enrollees are generally assessed a monthly payment for health care services and may be required to remain in the program for a specified amount of time.

health, patient,

n the state of bodily soundness of the patient; the patient's absolute or relative freedom from physical and mental disease.

health physics,

n the study of the effects of ionizing radiation on the body and the methods for protecting people from the undesirable effects of radiation.

health policy,

n1. a statement of a decision regarding a goal in health care and a plan for achieving that goal; e.g., to prevent an epidemic, a program for inoculating a population is developed and implemented. n2. a field of study and practice in which the priorities and values underlying health resource allocation are determined.

health promotion,

n an educational program or effort directed at a targeted population to improve, maintain, and safeguard the health of that segment of society. See also health education.

health resources,

n all materials, personnel, facilities, funds, and anything else that can be used for providing health care and services.

health risk,

n a disease precursor associated with a higher than average morbidity or mortality. The disease precursors may include demographic variables, certain individual behaviors, familial and individual histories, and certain physiologic changes.

health risk appraisal,

n a process of gathering, analyzing, and comparing an individual's prognostic characteristics of health with a standard age group, thereby predicting the likelihood that a person may develop prematurely a health problem associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate.

health

a state of physical and psychological well-being and of productivity including reproduction.

health indices

easily observed parameters that can be used as a guide to the animal's or group's state of health. Most obvious are food intake and fecal output. In agricultural animals there are additional monitoring guides such as body weight, milk yield, racing performance, egg yield, freedom of wool from breaks, feed conversion efficiency and so on.

health management

a system of preventive medicine that takes into account the whole animal, and the total influences including social, with respect to relationships with others in the herd or flock, psychological and environmental factors that affect health, including nutrition, exercise, housing, freedom from crowding and boredom and from physical or psychological harassment or cruelty.

repeated periodic health care

periodic examination of an individual or herd, exemplified in modern herd health programs.

veterinary public health

the field of veterinary medicine that is concerned with safeguarding and improving the health of the human community as a whole by controlling diseases of animals that are communicable to humans or which affect the human food chain to the detriment of the health of the consumers.

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